>Wow! That must have been a shock.
>
>The same thing happened to us a few weeks ago with a deer on
>Malibu Canyon Rd. We came around a bend and this deer shot
>across the road and then scrambled UP the side of a sheer
>cliff. I stopped because it fell back to the road, but then
>it
>tried again and up it went. Good thing no one was coming up
>behind me.
>
>OK, here's my story. Years and years ago, when I had a jeep, I
>went for a jeep ride on our Mulholland Drive (the dirt part).
>It was like 11:30 at night and there was another Jeep with me
>with a couple of friends along. So here we are blasting
>through the night and I look over and see a deer. Wow, I
>think..a deer, right here in the middle of Los
>Angeles...well..while I was in amazment, my foot didn't let
>off the gas and suddenly I lost control of the jeep. I hit
>the side of the mountain and did a turn which put the jeep up
>on two wheels, just like the circus!
>
>So I had to make a split-second choice..turn back into the
>mountan and flip the jeep, or turn away and take my chances
>with going off the edge. I don't know why I made the decision
>that I did, but I turned towards the edge. Fortunatly, the
>jeep did NOT go over the edge, but instead, the front wheel
>hit the embankment and literally sheared off! It stopped me
>before I could go over the edge!
>
>I survived..the jeep survived...and I could have sworn that
>while I was sitting there, I heard this deer, laughing.....
>
>A great story, Mr. Blast, have not related this one of mine but having read yours it brought it to mind.I have overall, been incredibly lucky, I have survived a number of things including being "having just left a warzone, at the right time", prior to being "overrun".
I have been told I have more than 9 lives.
About 3 years ago I returned from a trip to Hawaii.
It was about 5. am. and I had not slept more than a couple of hours.
I had breakfast and lots of coffee prior to heading up to my (primary)residence at the time, Big Bear.
I had been away for about a month and did not think about the fact of combining lack of sleep with driving in to "a much higher altitude".
As I ascented up the mountain I felt a "need to sleep", I was "fighting it" and being the stubborn person that I am, felt I would be O'K, and would make it to Big Bear.
As I fought the tiredness I suddenly found myself seeing the edge of a mountain cliff, I did all I could, feverishly fighting the inevitible by turning the wheel, however it was too late and I "sailed through the air" in to the unknown.
The treeline was about 50' across, "sailing through the air "either side of the treeline would mean a "drop to the valley below", perhaps many hundreds of feet "straight down".
My feverishness in turning the wheel meant the car went over backwards, it put me in the trees,( about 100' below) instead of the valley below that.
The car ended up in the trees at a 90 degree angle, I was at first very stunned, with what turned out to be broken ribs, but since I was still breathing I felt that the "guardian Angel" who is Always with me had ""shown up" just in time.
Soon people appeared at the top of the cliff and shouted " are you O'K,", since I ALWAYS am, I immediately said "Yes".
There was that Angel again reminding me of my almost invincibility, (or so I think.).
Soon rescue vehicles showed up, and I was told "do not move", since being in the trees was somewhat precarious, the "boughs might move at any moment", with the pressure of the car, and "off I would go".
Confident as I always am about my destiny I sat there and had an ongoing chat with those above me, if I had had a Champagne bottle handy I would have "popped the cork", in thanks of being "still around".
They first secured the car around me and then sent cables in my direction, then secured me for a trip to the top of the ridge, I REALLY found this very exiting., I "clambered the last stretch to the top", even though I was told to let them pull me up the whole way.
Upon getting to the top I was met by rescue as well as members of the Highway Patrol.
I was "checked out" as to sobriety and then had a very nice chat with one of the officers.
He was one of two responding officers , and was driving a 4 wheel drive vehicle.
He offered to drive me the rest of the way up to Big Bear, at least 30 miles from that point, he also insisted on loading my travel bags in to his vehicle.
We had a great chat "up to the top", Kevin had been a Marine in "Iraq 1" (91).
Of course we talked War, and my Vietnam experience, as well as a pride in our respective Children.
When I got to my house Kevin insisted on carring my bags to the top of the stairs, he would not let me do a thing.
I soon made a call to the Highway Patrol office in Lake Arrowhead to impress on them my gratitude for the incredible service rendered to me, (an ordinary citizen), by one of their
Patrolmen.
The lady who answered the phone thanked me for taking the time to call, and told me that Patrolman Kevin Pack was under consideration for sergeant, and a wanted transfer to the San Fernando Valley, she told me that my call and a subsequent letter would be very beneficial to him, I followed through and sent the letter.
I called back weeks later and learned that Kevin WAS awarded the promotion and transfer.
